My 74th Hunger Games
by whycantitbefollowthebutterflys
Summary: The 74th annual Hunger Games from the view point of Rue all the way up to her death - Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1: The Reaping

"Rue" shouts our escort. He is a fat man of 50 with sugar pink hair named Jamie lurch. It's the 74th annual Hunger Games and it's my first year in the reaping. My name is only on that one bit of paper and it is the one that gets pulled out. I walk onto the stage in front of the Justices Building and stand where I am instructed to stand.

Jamie plunges his hand into the ball with the boy's names in and produces a bit of paper which he unfolds delicately and reads "Thresh". I have seen his boy before. He is HUGE. He is made of pure muscle. The only thing we have in common is the colour of our skin, the same shade of light brown. He wears a dark blue top that shows his muscles, a pair of cropped trousers and some sandals.

We are ordered to shake hands. We just stare for a while at the audience and then he stretches out his bear like hand and I stretch out mine and we grasp each other hands tightly. He is very hostile and doesn't look at me when we do this. I think that's because he will have to kill me at some point and there's no need to get friendly.

After that we are ushered not into the Justice buildings like every other 22 tributes in Panem but straight to the train. Here in District 11 its harvest time and no one can be spared when there are deadlines to meet, not even the families of the tributes. The only person who is a citizen of District 11 that is allowed to stop helping with the harvest is our one and only victor left. His name is Chaff. He won in the 45th hunger games. He is in his 40's and he is one of the only remaining victors in the whole vicinity of Panem that hasn't turns to alcohol or drugs to dull there pain.


	2. Chapter 2: The Train

The train is pretty impressive. I have heard that it goes at around 250mph. There is a room for each of us on the train and it's nearly as big as the family bedroom that we share at home in District 11. The bed could fit about three people in it. And it's all for me. I am overwhelmed with emotions. I lie on the bed trying to decide what emotion I should be feeling right now. Should I be sad that I have to leave my family and train to kill? Should I be impressed at all the luxuries on the train? Should I be excited to get to the capitol and see for myself the Capitol that so many people have been telling me about?

I lie there, on the large soft bed for about half an hour, just dreaming about the capitol and all its riches. Suddenly there a knock on the door. I get up of the bed; my legs are stiff from the way I have been positioned. I walk over to the door and open it to find Jamie stood there with a big smile on his shiny, plastic, capitol face.

"Dinner is in ten minutes…..join us when you're ready" I don't know whether he expects me to say something, I don't, instead I shut the door and flop back down on the bed. I decided that I will have to change my clothes before I go to dinner. My cloths that I am in, a blue skirt and white blouse are deemed pretty in District 11 but here they are tatty. I open the wardrobe to find enough clothes to last a year. I touch some of the clothes and they are so soft it's unbelievable. I want to just stand there and hug them. But I am pretty hungry. I grab a pair of blue trousers and a top that matches. I don't like these clothes. I wish I had the clothes I wore in district 11. They may have been old but they were mine and I liked them. These clothes felt to new and to posh. I felt like if I touched them they would break.

I open my door and walk down the train till I find the dinning cart. I am the first one there so I sit down on one of the plush seats and wait for the others to arrive. Chaff arrives next wearing some black trousers a shirts and a rather colourful bow tie. Thresh comes in about 5 minutes later. He hasn't changed clothes. He looks almost board. He doesn't wait for anyone, he just grabs a bread roll from the side and sits down next to me and starts on his soup. I join him dunking bread into the creamy liquid that tastes of potatoes. Jamie finely arrives twenty minutes later with the excuse that he needed to make himself look 'presentable'. To me (and probably to Thresh as well) he looks like a clown with his hair and his makeup.

After we had all finished eating we went into another cart where we watched the reaping's in the other 11 districts. As per usual the tributes in district 1 and 2 were fighting to take the place as tribute. To them it is an honour to be tribute. Districts 3 – 10 were pretty mediocre. No fighting to be tribute no refusal to take part. We watched our own reaping and then district 12's. We all stare at the screen as a girl's name was called by their escort Effie Trinket "Primrose Everdeen"

Suddenly there was a scream of the girls name and then the words

"I volunteer….I volunteer as tribute" the girl who called this was called Katniss Everdeen. She was of medium height and had dark hair. She walked slowly to the stage, her little sister Primrose screaming as a boy carried her away. That's when there victor Haymitch fell off the stage and there were fits of laughter emanating from the crowed. We missed the boy from district 12 because we were all either laughing at the man that fell of the stage or in shock at the girl's bravery. The anthem was playing when Jamie said

"You better get to sleep we will get to the capitol in the early hours of the morning"

I got up and left Chaff, Thresh and Jamie in the cart and walked slowly to my room where I shut the door and crawled in to bed where I lay for hours thinking about my family. Finally I fell asleep to the sound of the train as it zoomed past the country.


	3. Chapter 3: The Remake Centre

I awake to a loud banging on the door. I look at the huge analogue clock attached to the wall and see that it is 8am. I climb out of the large bed. My limbs still half asleep. I open the door and find Thresh stood there. He looks tired and his eyes are blood shot. It looks like he hasn't slept all night.

"We're here" is all he says. He takes me by the hand and leads me to a door that leads to the platform of the capitols train station. It's a good thing I didn't bother to change out of my clothes when I went to sleep last night. There are people stood there taking our pictures. I must look terrible but I don't care. What is happening to us, to Thresh and I has finally sunk in. Only one of us or maybe neither of us will get back home, to District 11 and the safety of our family's.

We are led into the remake centre. This is when we go our separate ways. Some elaborate Capitol citizens that are probably my prep team lead me into a room. It has a shower in the corner surrounded by curtains that can be drawn to provide privacy. I am ordered to strip and go into the shower. I take of my clothes and step in. One of my prep team presses some of the hundreds of buttons and then they close the curtain leaving me standing in the shower as different lotions, oils and jests of warm water spray onto me. Some of the oils and the lotions smell of home, apples, strawberries and trees. Some of them smell of things unrecognisable to me, some I like some I don't.

Once the jets of water stop raining down on me I instantly feel the heat of a hairdryer blowing my body and hair dry. I grab one of the robes from the corner and wrap it around myself.

I walk into the middle of the room where there is a solitary leather chair and my prep team indicate me to sit in it. They start applying makeup and re-doing all my nails. All this preparation must be for the opening ceremony. Where the citizens of the capitol will get to see all the tributes in costume. This is the time when first impressions matter. People will be looking for people who stand out. So obviously I won't be seen at all. Who wants to sponsor a twelve year old?

My prep team don't even take notice of me. The just witter on about this year's hunger games and other prep teams and stylists. They can't seem to stop talking about one man called Cinna. They were saying that it's his first Hunger Games, and that he chose to have District 12.

"Who would want District 12" they kept saying. Accompanying that phrase were sighs of disapproval.

About two hours later my Prep team were ready to hand me over to my stylist. My stylist was a plump woman of 40. She had green and orange skin with a complementary wig. She had tattoos up her arms of fish and she wore a dress of light blue. To me she looked completely whacky but in the capitol this would be the height of fashion.

Just like my prep team she ignored me only asking me simple questions to do with the outfit. She dressed me in a blue silk top with a denim pair of dungarees. She put on top of my head a crown of silver leaves. She tried to balance it as best as she could on my bed of bushy black hair. But had to tie it in instead. I stood up and looked in a full length mirror. I didn't look like me and that's why i started to cry. All I wanted to do was look like me. I suddenly realised that the prep team were watching me and they looked like for once they actually felt sorry for me.

"What's wrong" asked one of the prep team. He had a wig of purple and yellowish tinged skin.

"It's nothing" I answered "it's just that I want to be me" I turned to them and said "I don't want to be in these games"

That's when the man stepped forward and embraced me. He said

"You need to show you're strong. If you do that then you can win" that's what I needed to lift my spirits. He gave me the hope I needed. I was going to show every citizen of Panem that even though I am small and young I can still fight and win.


	4. Chapter 4: The Opening Ceremony

I met up with Thresh again in a big hall full of the other tributes. Around the room were 12 chariots. One for each district. Next to the chariots were the two tributes who in 5 or 10 minutes would be riding there chariots down into the capitols city centre and then proceed into the training centre.

Thresh was dressed similar to me but he was wearing a white top instead of the silk blue top I was wearing. Looking around the room some of the tributes were wearing outfits that looked very capitol looking. The district one tributes were wearing an outfit that was mainly pink. There were many shades of pink. Some of the costume was made out of cotton, silk and some sort of fluffy material that made their costumes extremely puffy and made them look unbearably hot. District 2 tributes were wearing golden outfits. They shone in the slowly fading daylight. Districts 10 were wearing cowboy outfits to symbolise that they drove cattle. I thought district 1 had the worst outfits until I saw district 12. They were wearing matching black outfits. I don't know what they were supposed to represent, but whatever it was they aren't going to get noticed to night and that's what tonight is about. It's about the first impression. It's the first time that the capitol will get a good look at us and see whether we are worth betting on, or even to sponsor. Suddenly my stylist is ushering me and Thresh into our Chariot.

I could see the other tributes getting into their chariots. Districts 1 had already set off into the capitol. The screams were so loud it was unbelievable. One by one the other chariots exited the re-make centre in there chariots and paraded down the streets of the capitol. It was nearly time for me and threshes to go when I saw a bright light from behind me. As I turned my head I saw the tributes of district 12 on fire. There costumes were bright orange with huge leaping flames. I was about to Jump out of my Chariot and try to extinguish the fire when the district 12 tributes start laughing and smiling at their stylist. I had been over reacting. It was harmless.

Suddenly I feel a jolt and we are on our way. Out of the re-make centre and onto the streets of the capitol. I don't know how to react. Should I smile and wave, should I just stand there and look. To be honest the size of the crowed scares me. I look up at Thresh and he looks down at me and winks. Then he puts up his hand and waves. I join him in the waving. People are throwing us flowers when suddenly there is a huge thunder of applause. I look at the screens that are up high so that people at the back can see what the tributes look like. I see the district 12 tributes on the screen. They look so elegant. The girl tributes make-up is just right. It makes her look beautiful.

I don't realize that we have stopped or that president Snow is talking. All I can do is stare at the district 12 tributes. I think most people have averted their eyes and are now looking at District 12. The stylist did really well. Suddenly I remember something. My prep team had been wittering on about this person. The stylist for district 12. I didn't remember then when we were waiting to set off in our chariots but now I do. They were saying that this person what was his name? It's a weird name. Anyway it doesn't matter. There stylist has probably made them the most talked about district with their glorious outfits. I find myself feeling jealous. It's not a feeling I feel often. In our district you can guarantee that if someone has more than the others the peace keeper will make sure that those extra things will be taken of you. No matter whether you have a family of ten or a family of two. Everyone has exactly the same. Apart from harvest when we are all given more so that we can work longer.

I just have time to catch the last of president snows speech. Suddenly our chariots are on the move again and we are heading into the remake centre. The re-make centre will be our prison for the next three days where they will train us to slaughter each other in the arena. Our chariot stops and Thresh helps me down. Jamie and Chaff meet us and lead us to a glass door. We step inside and Chaff presses the number 11. Suddenly we are zooming up. I don't know what this is that we are standing in but it terrifies me. Without thinking I warp my arms around Thresh and hug him tight, hiding almost. Thresh doesn't resist when I hide my face in his chest, instead he say into my ear "it's just an elevator". I look up at him and he smiles.

Finally the death trap called an "elevator" stops and we step out. We are on a landing that will be called home while we are here. Chaff shows me to my room saying that dinner will be in 20 minutes. And I will find everyone in the room at the end of the hall. I open the door of my room and walk in. we are nearly at the top of the building. All that is above us is district 12 floor and the roof. There is a beautiful view of the capitol from the window that is the length of the wall, the lights of the city glowing. On one side of the room is a bathroom with one of those fancy showers that are on the train. On the other side of the room is a huge bed. Once again being able to fit about four of me in it. Next to the bed are a table and wardrobe. This was my prison leading up to my time in the arena.


	5. Chapter 5: Training Day 1

Just like on the train to the capitol short, sharp tapping noises awoke me from a restless sleep. I had dreamed about home in district 11. I dreamed about my family, my 5 siblings living in poverty unless I win.

I got up out of bed and walked over to the door. Still groggy from sleep I slowly opened the door, just enough to see my eyes. Chaff was stood there in a checked suit smiling, his capitol whitened teeth glistening in the light of the rising sun that was being cast through windows that lined the wall of the corridor opposite the room.

"Breakfast in 10" He said in an almost too cheery voice. I nodded at him and closed the door. I looked at myself in the long mirror above the table next to my bed. I looked a mess; my hair had become twice as puffy as I've ever seen it and my face still had remnants of last night's makeup on it. I slid out of my clothes which I hadn't bothered to change from the opening ceremony, and got into the shower. Once again I didn't have a clue what all the buttons meant. I pressed one that sent a jet of ice cold water all over me. I hopped about trying to dodge water and pressed another button. This produced a jet of Green liquid that smelt like apples. After another five minutes of randomly pressing buttons I found the one that dispensed hot water. Finally I could get on with washing.

Once washed I stepped out of the shower where what felt like a bolt of electricity was sent up my body. The current had completely dried me. My hair was detangled and dry. I walked up to my bed and found that an outfit had been laid on top of the newly made sheets. Obviously someone had been in hear whilst I'd been taking my shower. The outfit was a black pair of trousers and a black t-shirt with red, grey and black sleeves. On the back and on the sleeves was a red box that had the number 11 in it representing my district. These were going to be our training outfits. Since training is private no one ever knows what happens in the training centre. No one ever knows what the tributes wear or what they do. The next few days of training will lead up to our private training session where we are expected to show off our talents to the panel of game makers who will give all the tributes a score out of 12 (12 being incredibly good and 1 being dead in the first 5 minutes of the games) the scores also give the people betting something to go off.

Once I have put on my clothes, which are actually really comfortable, I walk down the corridor where I enter a sitting room/dining room where our stylists, Jamie our escort, Chaff our mentor and Thresh sit around the table being served by people dressed in red. At school we were taught about these people. They are called Avoxs. An Avox is a person who has been punished for rebelling against the capitol; in other words they ran away or they are traitors. These people have had their tongues cut out rendering them unable to speak. Their purpose is to serve the tributes and do anything that is asked of them. I sit at the free seat at the table next to Chaff and begin to eat. There all sorts of food on the table. Stew, fruit, bread, sausage, bacon. I don't even see what I grab. I start to gauge myself with food. I will need to put on extra weight for the arena.

But In half an hour I find that gauging myself with such rich food was a bad idea. I am hugging the toilet when Thresh comes to tell me that we are going down to the training area (which is right at the bottom of the training centre, deep underground.) I pull myself up and rinse my mouth. I walk slowly to the elevator and start to feel sick again when Jamie pushes me in.

Down we zoom and all can think is OH NO!

"EEEEEEWWWWWW" is the only noise that comes out of him. I have been sick all over Jamie and all over the clear, glass wall of the elevator. I am so glad that the elevator stops and I get out as I am shore that if I had stayed in there then I would be dead before I even stepped into the arena. Thankfully none of the sick was on me so I didn't need to change my clothes. We were nearly last into the training centre the only tributes left to show up were district 12.

The gymnasium is filled with training stations and obstacle courses that are supposed to train us and prepare us for the arena. Each training station is based on a different skill; there are things like climbing, knife throwing, archery and hand to hand combat. These things are aimed to help you to kill someone. Then there are stations that are there to teach you how to look after yourself like camouflage, knot tying, identifying edible plants and snare making.

We are called to attention by a woman; she is tall and athletic with dark skin and hair worn in a loose ponytail. We stand in a semi-circle around her and she begins to talk

"My name is Atala. I am here to whip even the weakest tribute into shape" at that point I see a few glances thrown at me. I am the smallest and youngest tribute in the 74th Hunger Games and to most of my fellow tributes I am easy pickings. Atala notices the glances and coughs to get everyone's attention again.

"I stress that you practice at the survival stations and not to focus on the weapons. There will be no fighting with the other tributes; there will be plenty of time for that in the arena. My advice is that you don't ignore the survival skills. Everyone wants to grab a sword but lots of you will die of natural causes. Ten percent from infection, Twenty percent from dehydration. One year the arena was a frozen tundra, five years go a burning desert, exposure can kill like a knife. Twenty-three will die, one will not. Who that is depends on ability"

After Atala's speech we are told to go and practice. All the career tributes totally ignore the speech Atala gave and go to the knifes and spears. They obviously have a talent at throwing them as soon they get bored and come to see how the other tributes are getting on. I am over at the camouflage station. I'm not actually doing any camouflage I am watching the boy from district 12. He has made his arm blend into a tree and I am amazed. The career tributes stand there laughing at the boy for choosing this as a station deemed useful.

The rest of the day fly's by. I don't do any training instead I watch people. I don't just stand and stare. I hide; I have seen what most of the tributes can do and what they can't. I have found that most of the tributes can't climb, apart from the girl from district 12 that I now know the name of. Katniss manages to scale up the makeshift tree nearly all the way to the top. She would never get as high as me though. Her fellow tribute Peeta doesn't do as well and comes crashing down to the ground. This happens with all the other tributes. They are too heavy for the fine makeshift branches to hold them. And that's my secret I am the smallest, the lightest. They don't know it but I can fly through the trees.


	6. Chapter 6: Training day's 2 and 3

Day 2 of training and I actually start to enjoy myself. Once again I don't do much training. I know what I am going to do in front of the game makers in the private session. So I don't need to do anything now. I don need to look at any plants to see whether they are edible or not. Working in agriculture has taught me all of that. I don't bother trying to throw I spear because I know that I won't be strong enough to through it far enough. And even if it did go far enough it wouldn't go into anyone, there wouldn't be enough power in it.

The career tributes are getting on my nerves though. Especially the district 2 tributes Cato and Clove. They mock anyone for any reason. An example would be Peeta, the district 12 tribute. He is really good at camouflage and I admire him for it. But Cato and Clove ruin everything by saying that he won't last a minute in the arena if all he can do is paint. When Peeta then goes and climbs the tree they laugh at him again for falling when he got a lot higher then Cato or Clove did.

I have decided I am going to do something about it. I stand and watch Cato for a while (obviously out of view) and when he stops to brag about how he hit the target with the knife I run up and grab the one he left on the side to throw next. I dash to the edge of the gymnasium and climb up to the roof. There are metal beams across the roof so I swing silently across them till I am above Cato. That's when I hear him start to shout. Cato is attacking another tribute, throwing him to the ground and punching him shouting "WHERE THE HELL IS MY KNIFE?" Atala brakes up the fight and tries to get Cato to calm down. I start to giggle and at that moment Thresh looks up to where I am and smiles. Someone else looks up and I realise its Katniss. I show her the knife and put my finger to my lips. Indicating her to not tell. She nods her head and smiles at me. For the rest of the day I am giddy with the feeling that there might be at least one person that will look out for me in the arena.

Day 3 of training and I start to knuckle down a bit. I still don't do any training, I only watch. I have come accustomed to watching Katniss and Peeta, the tributes from district 12. The don't seem to be very good at the things that they try so that leads me to think that there mentor has told them to hide their talents which is exactly what I'm doing. Whilst I watch them try to throw knives I hear Peeta whisper to Katniss

"I think we have a shadow" that's when I realise that they have noticed me coming and watching them. Katniss turns around and looks at me.

I shrink into the wall as she says to Peeta "that's Rue" I never knew that she knew my name. They both turn and smile at me. I don't think that they mind that I am watching them. So I continue to watch. They never go anywhere alone I think it shows that they aren't afraid to be friendly with each other, they aren't afraid that at some point one might have to kill the other.

Tomorrow will be the private training sessions so instead of turning up to dinner I order some food in my room. An Avox brings me a selection of food, there is chicken, beef, stew, and cake. I eat as much I can (I have finally gotten over the richness and no longer be sick after eating.)

Without taking of my clothes (again) I warp myself up in bed and lie there looking up to the ceiling. I just can't lie still enough though. After an hour of staring at the ceiling which I now know off by heart, I get up, open my door and walk to the elevator. Inside I stare at the buttons. There are buttons 1-12 that I am only aloud to press the one labelled 11 (I'm only aloud on my floor). Then there is the button to the ground floor, the training gymnasium and then a one that is labelled "Roof". I press it and in about 30 seconds I am on the roof. I can see the beautiful views of the capitol from here and I don't even feel the breeze. I go to the edge of the roof and stretch my arms out to feel the emptiness but I am alarmed when I get electrocuted by a force field. Obviously someone has tried to escape from the roof before so the force field has been put up to stop anything like that happening again. I sit on the edge of the roof and stare out. I must sit there for half the night just staring at the sky watching the moon make its slow, steady way across the sky.


	7. Chapter 7: Private Training

I finally fell asleep up there and awoke to see the sun out. I scrabbled into the elevator and pushed the 11 button. Once it reached our floor I step out and can here shouts of "Rue, Rue" people were actually looking for me. I shouted "I'm here" Chaff and Thresh came running into the corridor

"We've been looking for you everywhere" said chaff with a tone of concern. "We thought you made a run for it, anyways its 10:55 and the private training is about to start". He ushered me and Thresh into the elevator. We zoomed down and were in just in time. The other tributes were going into the waiting area. We joined the end of the line and filed in.

It was a long wait till it was my time to go in. the only other people left in the waiting area were Katniss and Peeta. We didn't talk to each other, we just sat. Suddenly my name was called. I stood up and looked at Katniss who smiled at me and winked, it was a good luck sign. I open the doors and walked in. I had 15 minutes to impress theses people who were half drunk but still watching. I introduced myself and set to work. First I climbed up a wall. And started to swing across the roof. I did flips to impress them. After I swung around for a bit I dropped, I just let go and landed on one of the 10 fake trees. From there I sung across from tree to tree using the branches to grab on to and to propel myself off of. I did a summersault and landed on the floor. There was netting going up to the ceiling so I grabbed onto that and started speeding up it. Once I got to the top I leaped onto the top of a tree where I stood on one foot and smiled at the game makers, they didn't look at all impressed.

Then the buzzer sounded and I climbed down. I was escorted to the elevators from there. I thought I had done quite well. It was going to be a long wait till the scores were shown.

All the district 11 team (including me and Thresh) sat in the sitting room area waiting in front of a huge television for the results to come on. After a few hours of waiting the screens flashed on. A voice that I didn't know who it belonged to started to talk and then introduced the districts. A head shot of the tribute came onto the screen and the score from the private training where shown underneath the head sot.

District 1 -boy: 9 girl: 9

District 2 -boy: 10 girl: 10

District 3 -boy: 6 girl: 5

District 4 -boy: 8 girl: 6

District 5 -boy: 5 girl: 5

District 6 -boy: 5 girl: 6

District 7 -boy: 6 girl: 5

District 8 -boy: 8 girl: 5

District 9 -boy: 7 girl: 6

District 10 -boy: 7 girl: 8

It was me and Thresh next. I looked at the screen in anticipation. The boys came up first. Thresh's face was flashing with the number 10 under it. We all cheered for him and congratulated him. It was an amazing score that levelled him with Cato and Clove.

Next thing I knew my name was on the screen and flashing under it was a number 7. I was shocked that I got that much. Me and Thresh were hugging each other and smiling. We turned back to the screen to watch Katniss's and Peeta's score. Peeta got an 8 which for some reason I felt like hes should of got more. He had one more then I and I was half the size of him. Katniss was on the screen next and everyone was stunned into silence when her score was shown. 11. That was what she got whatever she did she must have been amazing.


	8. Chapter 8: The Interviews

I woke up and once again I heard the sharp, rapping on the door. I jumped out of my nice, warm, soft bed and into the chilly air of my room. I opened the door and saw Jamie stood there.

"Big day today, it's the interviews" his voice was too merry for this early in the morning; I closed the door and went to the wardrobe. I selected a pair of light blue trousers and a matching top.

As I walked down to breakfast my head was full of thoughts. It was nearly time for the games; soon I was going to die, would I have anyone to ally with in the games? What was going to happen tonight at the interviews with the legendary Caesar Flickerman? What was I going to wear tonight? Tonight was about telling the whole of Panem about myself on live television. So they could see what my strategy is. Am I going to sweet, innocent, fierce, sext, distant? I definitely can't do sexy and fierce. I was going to have to play up the fact that I am the smallest and youngest.

When I get into the dinning room/sitting room I find that no one is eating. I never realised earlier but know I realise that I am also not the least bit hungry. Thresh comes and stands next to me. We just stare into the room. Suddenly there's a tap on my shoulder. My stylist holds onto my arm and steers me into my room where my prep team are waiting for me. Today will be a day dedicated to the prep team. Making me ready for the interview.

They start by making me undress. As I stand there they inspect what will need to be done. Suddenly I'm pushed into the shower. I am relieved to find that the prep team know what buttons to press. I am covered in shampoos, gels, lotions and oils. I feel fresh when I step out of the shower. The current runs through me making me bone dry, I still wasn't used to the current as it sent a shiver through me. Next they make me lie on what looks like a surgical bed and start applying some horrible, gloopy gel. From the re-make centre I that this is to rid the tiny strand of hair that have started to regrow on my legs. Every time they waxed my leg I let out a low moan. I really hurt and I wished that no one should have to go through that much pain just because of a little bit of hair.

After 5 hours, I was perfect, my nails in a perfect shape painted pastel. I was also wearing a pastel blue coloured dress. It was definitely playing the sweet card.

Very soon I was walking to the stage where the interviews were going to take place. We were lined up, district 1 at the front district 12 at the back. Suddenly music was playing and Caesar was walking onto the stage all smiles. The crowd loved him. His outfit and hair was blue. Every year it was a different colour.

District 1 tributes were up first. The girl glimmer was very elegant in her flowing dress and the boy marvel was very charming talking to Caesar. Every tribute got there ***minutes with Caesar and very soon it was my turn to go on stage. I stared out at the audience was stunned by how many of them there was. There must have been thousands if not millions of capitol citizens watching and then nearly every other citizens in the other 12 districts of Panem. I took my seat next to Caesar and everyone clapped. Soon the crowed stopped clapping and Caesar began to speak.

"Well hello Rue" he said in a kind, warm voice.

"Hello" I answered quietly.

"Tell me what it feels like to be the smallest and youngest tribute?" he asked.

"Well in some ways its bad that I am smallest as it makes me an easy target, but in other ways its good that I am small as I can do things that they can't"

"Well rue I'm sure you can do things that others can't, but I think we are all egger to know how well you think you'll do in the games, how long do you think you will last"

I have to think about this "lets just say that they can't kill me if they cant catch me" everyone starts clapping and I smile my cheekiest grin. That's when the buzzer goes of and I take my seat at the back of the stage. We are permitted to sit on stage till the every end. Thresh is up next and I no that he isn't planning to make any conversations.

His time fly's by and next its Katniss. She looks so nervous. Caesar helps her the best he can and in the end she stuns the crowed with her story of how she has promised that she will win for her sister Primrose.

Next on is Peeta. His interview goes so well. He talks to Caesar amazingly. They joked about all sorts and even sniffed each other because they thought that they smelt of roses. Suddenly they started talking about girls.

"But there must be one girl" says Caesar

"Well there is one" admits Peeta

"Well then here is what you can do, you can win the hunger games and go back to her" says Caesar clapping Peeta on the back.

"Well that wont happen" says Peeta dropping his head

"Why ever not" asks Caesar there are sounds of sympathy in the crowds.

"Because she came here with me"

Suddenly there are gasps and cries of sorrow from the crowed. The buzzer goes of and we all stand to leave. Everyone is shocked at the new development. There are two lovers in district 12. Katniss looked very embarrassed. We all fill out. Everyone keeps stealing glances at Peeta and Katniss. The star crossed lovers of district 12.


	9. Chapter 9: The night on the roof

I don't join everyone else for dinner after the interviews. Instead I head straight to the roof. I know all talk will be on the interviews. I want to forget them. I feel so sorry for Katniss and Peeta. Their chances of being together are slim. Everyone knows only the careers win these games. Unless of course someone can outsmart them.

Up on the roof you can hear the capitol citizens partying. This is the most awaited event of the year for them. All I can think about is how much I hate them. They are betting on who will die and who will not. How can they find this entertaining? Watching children die. Forced to kill each other. Do they like seeing weak tributes being slaughtered by their favourites to win? It makes me sick. I'd like to see their children put into the arena and then see how they feel when we are betting on whether their children will live.

Suddenly I hear the door open so I hide. It's Peeta. He sits on the edge of the roof and stares out. Not looking at anything in particular, just staring. Then I hear the silent sobs. He brings his bandaged hands up to his face and wipes away the escaped tears. Suddenly the door opens again and I see Katniss walk towards him. They sit opposite each other and stare at festival for a while.

"I'm sorry I pushed you and cut your hands" I hear Katniss say. They both don't realise that I'm up here so I stay hidden and wait for them to go.

"It's ok" says Peeta looking straight at Katniss. "I was never a contender in these games anyway" they stare at each other for few minutes. I get drawn in and want to her what is going to be said next.

"I don't want them to change me" Peeta continues

"How would they change you?" Katniss asks

"I don't know…..turn me into something I'm not….I just don't want to be another piece in there games" I don't get what Peeta means. 'Another piece in there games' what could that mean. Peeta continues to talk so I listen carefully.

"I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me. If I die I want to still be me…does that make any sense?" To me it doesn't but Katniss seems to get it.

"Yeh …..I just can't afford to think like that" is Katniss's answer. She continues to speak "just concentrate on staying alive, that how you'll win" then Peeta says something that really angers Katniss. He says "thanks for the tip, sweetheart" Katniss storms out. I don't know what that was all about but I think I have realised what Peeta was saying. I think he was saying that if he dies in the arena then he wants to die himself. He doesn't want to die a murderer. He doesn't want the games to change him. I totally agree with what Peeta is saying I wouldn't want to die with the mind of a murder, I would want to die as me, with the love of music and the fear of my loved once getting hurt.

Soon I creep off the roof and into the elevator where I ram my finger into the 11 button and charge to my room. It has just dawned on me that in few hours I will be getting ready to go into the arena. I lie on my bed and breakdown. Sobbing. All I can think about is my family. What if I die? I have to win for them. They need the food and the money. If I die then so will they.


	10. Chapter 10: To the arena

I didn't sleep at all last night. I was too frightened to. I will be in the arena in a few hours and that terrifies me. I want to make it out, be the victor of the 74th hunger games, but I think I'm aiming a bit high. My real dream would for the hunger games to miraculously be cancelled. Or that they have decided that a 12 year old is too young to be entered into the games.

Thinking about the games only makes me feel sicker. I get up out of bed, put on some simple cloths and go to the dining room. There is food set out on the table and there are Avox's there.

"Can I help myself" I ask. They node and I help myself to some warm milk and some still warm bread. I sit at the table and start to eat the bread. It is soft inside and melts in my mouth. It's a lot different than my hard, crescent shaped district 11 bread. I help myself to another cup of warm milk and a few more slices of bread. Suddenly someone sits down on the chair next to me, It's Thresh.

"You nervous?" he asks me. I nod my head. We have never really talked before, his voice a deep rumble in the morning light.

"I'll give you some advice if you like" he looks down at me and smiles.

"Yes please" I smile back at him.

"Ok then….you should stick to the trees. You can swing across them just like a monkey…. Don't bother trying to get some weapons at the cornucopia, if you really want to just get things from the outside. The things the others wouldn't pick up themselves." I listen carefully and nod to show that I am listening. He then places his hand into his pocket and brings out a necklace; it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. It's made out of woven grass and it has a wooden star pendant.

"This is for you" he says as he puts around my next, fitting it over my tangle of thick, black hair.

"It will bring you luck" he adds. I stare up at him and he smiles down at me.

"Thank you….thank you so much…..it's beautiful" I say as I hug him tightly. He raps his arms around me and we hug. It's not a hug that is forced it is one that you can relax with, it's comforting.

Our friendly hug is disrupted by a "cough, cough" mine and Thresh's stylists are stood there. We part and I am lead to my room to dress into my outfit for the arena.

I am dressed into some simple tawny coloured trousers with many pockets, a light green cotton shirt, a sturdy brown belt, skin tight socks, soft leather boots with narrow grippy soles, a jacket that has to layers. The inner layer of the jacket made of warm fleecy material, the top layer is a lot thinner made of a nylon material. There are grey reflective strips down the arms and shoulders of the jacket. The hood has little cords on it so that it can be tightened. The jackets are a different colour for each district. Mine is a chocolate brown colour.

After getting dressed we are loaded into a hovercraft where we sit opposite each other. A woman came up and inserted a tracker into my arm. I am one of the first to have it done. My face winced in pain as the tracker was inserted. It was even worse than when they have to take our blood at the reaping. The windows of the hovercraft blackened so we must be getting near the arena.

In another half an hour we are at the arena. We are underground all in our own separate rooms. I am sitting on a bench waiting when a voice calls all the tributes onto their metal plates. I step carefully onto the plate. A plastic tube encircles me. I start to panic as I am lifted up. Suddenly I am in darkness. It's too dark to be just the lights turned off. I can see the sky above me and stare at it to take my mind off the darkness.


	11. Chapter 11: First few days in the arena

From where I am stood I can see the cornucopia. The mouth of the cornucopia contains a bounty of weapons, as you get further away the resources decrease in value. Right in front of me is a pair of socks. I look around at the arena. There is a lake to one side of me and a dense wood to the other side. Straight in front of me the arena seems to disappear. There could be a cliff or something completely different. Where we are is a plain of packed, dry earth.

We all wait on the metal plates for the required 60 seconds (if you don't last that long then you get blown up.). The bong that sets us off is load and there's no time to think. We are all running to the cornucopia. I know instinctively that I have to get out of there. I grab the socks and a water skin and leg it into the woods. I am not a terribly good runner so when I hit the tree line I scramble up a tree, as high as I can. From here I can see the tributes battling in the blood bath. I see Katniss try to grab a bag when another tribute tries to grab it off her. The next thing I see there is a knife in his back and blood all over Katniss's face. She grabs the bag pack and runs towards the woods were I am. She runs right underneath me. Sprinting into the woods. I try to find Thresh but I can't see him anywhere. I hope he's ok.

As time passes even more tributes die at the cornucopia and the bloodbath finally ends. The career tributes are around the cornucopia seeing what is in there bounty. But there are two more tributes there that I am shocked to see with the careers. First of all there's the boy from district 3. He is walking around the metal plates looking at the ground. Then there's Peeta!

Why is he with the career tributes? Or even why have they selected him. What has he got that the other tributes don't. Then I work it out. If I were a career tribute I would want to kill my greatest threats first. And undoubtedly there greatest threat is Katniss, having got the highest training score. But they won't be able to find her; they don't know anything about her. So why not form an alliance with someone who will practically lead them to her instead and nobody would be better at that then her lover Peeta. And once they have killed Katniss then they can kill Peeta.

As night falls the seal is shone into the sky. They show all the tribute that have dies in the bloodbath. In total there are 11 tributes dead.

The tributes that died are: District 3 female, District 4 male, District 5 male, Both from District 6, Both from District 7, District 8 male, Both from District 9, and District 10 female.

That's 11 dead and 13 left. Seal shows again and then the sky is black. I settle down in my tree. The night is bitter cold. I pull out my socks and cover my hand with them. I wish I was in the bead at the training centre instead of here in the cold. I finally fall to sleep with images in my head of the dead tributes and Katniss. The girl on fire

Day 2 and 3 fly by and nothing happens one other tribute has died. She let herself get found by making a fire that was stupid. But I don't blame her for making the fire. The days are hot and the nights are freezing. I spend the two days spying on the careers. They have night glasses which makes them able to hunt at night. They also have pilled there supplies up in a triangle and leaves the district 3 tribute to guard them.

I have been able to get water from a river that I found. I get a much better view of thing from the trees so finding the water is easy. Food is easy as well. I've found lots of roots and berries. The woods are riddled with mockingjays. I love to sing to them and they sing back. That's how my days while away singing to the mockingjays.

As I settle down for the night I think of how Katniss is doing. I have seen her a few times during the 4 days that we have been in the arena. She can climb trees nearly as well as I can. She has a good chance at winning. Hopefully if the career tributes don't succeed with their plan to kill her with the use of Peeta.


End file.
